She had just put an egg on to boil – a vain attempt at something resembling ‘a proper meal’ – when the phone rang. She looked at the timer and at the phone, and silently cursed. It was probably not even for her. She let it ring a few more times and caved in. Rather than hear her own voice on the answering machine she picked it up. She would get whoever it was to ring back. It might well be Rory. Apart from the one garbled phone call from the pub, she hadn’t heard a thing from him. Fine father of puppies he was! Not even a single tin of dog food had he sent for them. Leaving her in sole charge was bad enough; she wasn’t going to have to eat an over-boiled egg as well.

It was Toby. Although he announced his name it took her a moment to work out who this rather high and breathy voice belonged to. When she did, she panicked. ‘Toby! Are you all right? Is anything wrong?’

‘No, no, I’m fine.’ There was a short pause. ‘Dad’s out. I’ve got a babysitter. We’ve been watching videos.’ Another pause. ‘I just wanted a chat.’

‘It’s a bit late, isn’t it?’

‘Sorry.’

‘Oh, well, I suppose it’s Friday. But can I ring you back? I’m just boiling an egg and I hate them too hard?’

Thea mashed up the egg on to the toast and cut it into bits so she could eat it with one hand. She felt dreadfully clandestine dialling Ben’s number, because she was quite sure Ben would be furious if he knew Toby had rung her. After what Molly had told her about him hating maternal women, this would make him hit the roof. It was probably because she and Toby had had such a good time together that Ben was so aloof.

But on the other hand she and Toby had a relationship which was quite separate and a lot more satisfactory than hers with Ben.

Toby was quite a long time coming to the phone. Thea was beginning to think the babysitter had come to her senses and sent him to bed. The answering machine cut in and Thea was about to leave a quick message and ring off when Toby picked up. ‘Oh, hi,’ he said.

‘It’s me, Thea. What can I do for you, Toby?’

‘Nothing really, I just wanted a chat.’

‘What about?’

‘Oh – er nothing much.’

‘Shouldn’t you be in bed? I know I should be.’

‘I always find it really hard to get to sleep when Dad’s out. He’s with a woman.’